The strong rebound of international education has meant that the pain of the international student drought during the peak of the pandemic has become a distant memory in public discourse. The sight of empty university campuses was just one of many indicators of the COVID-19 economic shock. According to Study Queensland, the international education and training sector alone suffered a loss of over $1 billion in 2020-2021, with diminished new student migration adversely impacting other industries across the state, including tourism, hospitality, agriculture and health care.

Prior to the pandemic, international education was the state’s largest services export, generating $5.8 billion a year for the Queensland economy and $1.9 billion for the Gold Coast alone. Notably, a quarter of the tourism industry’s revenue came from international students and their visiting families. 

While there is still a road ahead of us, the strong return of international students to Queensland is cause for great optimism. For the first time since the pandemic, international university commencements in 2023 surpassed new enrolments in 2019. While this resurgence in international education is heartening, we cannot rest on our laurels; there is significant work ahead to maximise opportunities for international education to benefit Queensland.

While Queensland is a welcoming environment already, we need community and industry to work with universities in embracing international students and graduates, recognising not only their economic contributions but also their cultural contributions that enrich the social fabric of this state. 

International graduates are key to addressing critical skill shortages and catering to the needs of our culturally diverse population. As Australia anticipates the need for 85,000 nurses by 2025, we must leverage the expertise of our international students, starting with more opportunities for Work Integrated Learning (WIL) during their studies and a coordinated approach to improving graduate outcomes.

There is a need for employer engagement and education regarding the value of our international graduates, now and in the future. Despite the introduction of extended post-study work rights for graduates with degrees in areas of skill shortage, employers remain reluctant to hire highly competent graduates who have demonstrated their capabilities and completed degrees in English. In a time when employers are crying out for qualified workers, this is wasteful and shortsighted.

It’s time to recognise international graduates for their potential to play an integral role in supporting Queensland’s prosperity and growth agenda.